Bin Fei

• PhD
• Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The extensive use of lithium-ion batteries and other energy storage systems (ESS) in recent years has resulted in a critical need for effective thermal management solutions that ensure safe and reliable operations. Carbon-based materials (C-bMs) are a promising candidate for addressing the thermal challenges in ESS due to their unique thermal, elec...

The instability of surface lattice Oⁿ⁻ (0 < n < 2) in charged LiCoO₂ (LCO) limits its long‐term cycling stability beyond 4.55 V versus Li/Li⁺. Herein, the spinel and rock‐salt (RS) phases are constructed on LCO surface to stabilize lattice Oⁿ⁻, namely S‐LCO and R‐LCO, respectively. Upon long‐term cycling at 4.6 V, the loss of lattice Oⁿ⁻ leads to a...

In modern architecture, windows are increasingly employed as curtain wall structures, playing a critical approach in regulating indoor environments to reduce building energy consumption. Meanwhile, the demands for transparency and flame retardancy present significant challenges in guaranteeing people's privacy and safety. In response, a two‐layer “...

The cooling effect, caused by the sustainable radiative cooling, might be an adverse factor for a cause thermal management system during cold hours. To address this issue, a self-adaptive radiative cooler (SARC), integrating thermochromic microcapsule (TCM) and silica aerogel (SA) in porous polymer substrate, was designed and fabricated for dynamic...

Polyamide 6 (PA6) is a widely used engineering polymer, valued for its mechanical strength and ease of processability. However, its inherent flammability, low thermal conductivity, and weak ferroelectric response restrict its applicability in advanced composite materials. In this study, a multifunctional PA6 composite was developed using phosphor-s...

The instability of surface lattice On‐ (0<n<2) in the charged LiCoO₂ (LCO) limits its long‐term cycling stability beyond 4.55 V vs. Li/Li⁺. Herein, the spinel and rock‐salt (RS) phases are constructed on the LCO surface to stabilize lattice On‐, namely S‐LCO and R‐LCO, respectively. Upon long‐term cycling at 4.6 V, the loss of lattice On‐ leads to...

Air pollution is a silent killer. It poses a significant health threat, affecting over 80% of the global population and leading to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Electrospun nanofiber filtration membranes have made tremendous progress due to their large surface areas, adaptable structures, and self‐polarizing properties. This review explo...

In many parts of the world, mosquito-borne illnesses have become a serious threat to public health. The development of mosquito-repellent textiles (MRTs) presents a promising approach to mitigating the risk of mosquito bites and the transmission of vector-borne illnesses. Despite the tremendous advancements in research over the years, it is uncommo...

Fabricating transition metal selenide (TMSe) anode materials with rapid K⁺ diffusion and high‐rate performance is crucial for the advancement of potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs), yet it remains a challenge. In this study, a Cu²⁺‐doped Co0.85Se@N‐doped carbon anode with an optimal concentration of Cu²⁺‐doped and yolk‐shell structure (denoted as Cu‐Co0...

The cooling effect, caused by the sustainable radiative cooling, might be an adverse factor for a cause thermal management system during cold hours. To address this issue, a self-adaptive radiative cooler (SARC), integrating thermochromic microcapsule (TCM) and silica aerogel (SA) in porous polymer substrate, was designed and fabricated for dynamic...

The electrochemical reduction of nitrogenous species (such as N2, NO, NO2⁻, and NO3⁻) for urea synthesis under ambient conditions has been extensively studied due to their potential to realize carbon/nitrogen neutrality and mitigate environmental pollution, as well as provide a means to store renewable electricity generated from intermittent source...

Toward addressing the aesthetic demand, IR emissivity, and fire hazards of radiative cooling materials in the practical application, chameleon‐inspired is tactfully employed, dipole moment‐increasing, and fire‐retardant strategies to manufacture an advanced polyurea‐based composite coating through incorporating thermochromic microcapsules, boron ni...

Functionalized butadiene rubbers have gained significant attention in recent years due to their enhanced properties and expanded application possibilities. This chapter offers a thorough discussion of the various functionalized butadiene rubbers and their processing requirements. To enhance performance characteristics or add new features, butadiene...

Vanadium (V)‐based oxides have garnered significant attention as cathode materials for aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) due to their multiple valences and high theoretical capacity. However, their sluggish kinetics and low conductivity remain major obstacles to practical applications. In this study, Mo‐doped V2O3 with oxygen vacancies (OVs, Mo‐V2...

Creating durable flame retardancy, enhanced mechanical performance, and hydrophilic polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6) textiles via cost-effectiveness from sustainable renewable sources is a considerable challenge. This study introduces a pretreatment process involving the application of sodium lignosulfonate (LS) to the surface of PA6.6 fabrics, thereby enhanc...

The aesthetic demand has become an imperative challenge to advance the practical and commercial application of daytime radiative cooling technology toward mitigating climate change. Meanwhile, the application of radiative cooling materials usually focuses on the building surface, related tightly to fire safety. Herein, the absorption and reflection...

Due to the ubiquitous and inexhaustible solar source, photothermal materials have gained considerable attention for their potential in heating and de‐icing. Nevertheless, traditional photothermal materials, exemplified by graphene, frequently encounter challenges emanating from their elevated reflectance. Inspired by ocular structures, this study u...

Even though significant advantages in the energy-free regulation of temperature are presented, the practical applications of radiative cooling materials in buildings and human surfaces still involve many safety issues, especially for fire hazards of polymer-based materials. Meanwhile, renewable and environmentally friendly materials are urgently ne...

The cooling power provided by radiative cooling is unwanted during cold hours. Therefore, self-adaptive regulation is desired for radiative cooling, especially for all-weather applications. However, currents routes for radiative cooling regulation are constrained by substrates and complicated processing. Here, self-adaptive radiative cooling regula...

Nanoarchitectonics of semiconductors shed light on efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by precisely controlling the surface microenvironment of cocatalysts. Taking cadmium zinc sulfide (CZS) nanoparticles as a target, the spontaneous modifications are conducted by interactions between surface Cd²⁺/Zn²⁺ atoms and thiol groups in thioglycolic...

Robust, hydrophobic woven cotton fabrics were obtained through the sol–gel dip coating of two different nanoparticle (NP) architectures; silica and silica-ZnO. Water repellency values as high as 148° and relatively low tilt angles for fibrous fabrics (12°) were observed, without the need for fluorinated components. In all cases, this enhanced funct...

Advancements in wearable technologies in the past few years have influenced the fabrication of fiber-based supercapacitors and sensors for next-generation energy-autonomous systems. There has been an increase in research on conductive electrodes on fibers for sensing ability and storing of energy based on their ease of fabrication, stretch and flex...

A dual-mode composite textile prepared with white hyperbranched flame retardants and black phosphorus nanosheets features adjustable personal thermal management and multiple synergistic flame retardant properties.

Zinc-iodine batteries have gained attention recently as promising energy storage systems (ESSs) due to their high energy density, low cost, non-toxicity, and environmental friendliness - making them a favorable alternative to conventional energy storage systems. Even though literature abounds on zinc-iodine batteries, very few studies have attempte...

Highlights Bioinspired directional moisture-wicking electronic skin (DMWES) was successfully realized by surface energy gradient and push–pull effect via the design of distinct hydrophobic-hydrophilic difference. The DMWES membrane showed excellent comprehensive pressure sensing performance with high sensitivity and good single-electrode triboelect...

The release of microfibres (MFs) from textiles has been observed in various environments, pointing towards the impact of human activities on natural systems. Synthetic textile microfibres, a subset of microplastic fibres (MPFs), are reported to be the primary contributor to microplastic pollution. With the forecasted growth in textile production, t...

Developing sustainable bifunctional electrocatalysts based on non-noble metals for water splitting is crucial for modern society. Meanwhile, the utilization of biomaterials from waste streams in their fabrication enhances sustainability in the electrocatalytic sector. Herein, this novel approach has been demonstrated by selectively utilizing disulp...

We report on the in situ silver-seeded generation and growth of pure wurtzite zinc oxide (ZnO) onto woven cotton fabric substrates via sonochemical deposition. Coating leaching issues and limitations related to processing temperature often restrict the direct application of crystalline metal oxides onto soft matter substrates under ambient conditio...

Smart electroactive materials that can dynamically regulate stem cell fate without external stimuli have fascinated increasing attention. Meanwhile, noninvasive electrical stimulation has emerged as a less restrictive approach, generating considerable interest in its potential biomedical applications. The intricate interplay between cells and mater...

Developing an intelligent wearable system is of great significance to human health management. An ideal health‐monitoring patch should possess key characteristics such as high air permeability, moisture‐wicking function, high sensitivity, and a comfortable user experience. However, such a patch that encompasses all these functions is rarely reporte...

Due to their unique surface-active functionalities, graphene and its derivatives, i.e., graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), have received enormous research attention in recent decades. One of the most intriguing research hot spots is the integration of GO and rGO coatings on textiles through dyeing methods, e.g., dip-pad-dry. In g...

Transition metal phosphides have emerged as compelling alternatives to noble metal catalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, owing to their high efficiency, stability, ease of preparation, and low-cost-effectiveness. This study investigates a series of binary and ternary phosphides predominantly composed of cobalt and nickel employed for pho...

The enhancement of electrocatalytic water splitting by modulating the intrinsic electronic environment of active sites has recently attracted lots of interest. Herein, cobalt‐cobalt oxide (CoO x ) at carbons derived from metal‐organic frameworks (Zn 0.2 @ZIF‐67) have been modulated by using post‐phosphine (P‐CoO x /NCs), acid leaching (Co/NCs), and...

The bacterial infection of surgical wounds results in prolonged hospitalization and even death of patients, calling for antibacterial function in modern suture products. To tackle this challenge, cationic guanidine-containing copolymer was synthesized, exhibiting antibacterial potency over 5 log reduction against both Gram-positive S. aureus and Gr...

Transparent wood (TW)‐based materials have increasingly become the focus of researchers worldwide owing to their superior physico‐chemical‐optical properties, sustainable nature, as well as the fact that they are highly accommodating frameworks that can act as building blocks to readily explore a vast range of potential functionalities, holding gre...

Cellulosic aerogels (CNF) are considered naturally available thermal insulating materials as substitutes for conventional polymeric aerogels owing to their extensive sources, low density, low thermal conductivity, sustainability and biodegradability. However, cellulosic aerogels suffer from high flammability and hygroscopicity. In this work, a nove...

Flexible wearable strain sensors have received extensive attention in human–computer interaction, soft robotics, and human health monitoring. Despite significant efforts in developing stretchable electronic materials and structures, developing flexible strain sensors with stable interfaces and low hysteresis remains a challenge. Herein, Ti3C2Tx MXe...

To develop intelligent wearable protection systems is of great significance to human health engineering. An ideal intelligent air filtration system should possess reliable filtration efficiency, low pressure drop, healthcare monitoring function, and man-machine interactive capability. However, no existing intelligent protection system covers all th...

It is a challenging task to directly apply emulsified silicone oil to the surface of cotton fabric to obtain superhydrophobic properties. In this work, a temperature-responsive microgel was first synthesized and the particle size and distribution of the microgel, thermo-responsiveness, and hydrophobicity of the microgel membrane were investigated....

Aqueous zinc batteries are appealing devices for cost-effective and environmentally sustainable energy storage. However, the critical issues of uncontrolled dendrite propagation and side reactions with Zn anodes have hindered their practical applications. Inspired by the functions of the rosin flux in soldering, an abietic acid (ABA) layer is fabri...

The facile construction of a cotton fabric with excellent flame-retardant and water-proof abilities is of great interest for multitask requirements. Herein, a nonfluorine, highly efficient, and cost-effective multifunctional cotton fabric was fabricated via sequentially depositing a novel multielement-containing flame-retardant phosphorylated octa-...

An ideal wound dressing should include excellent physical property, comfortability, and protection. Critical properties, such as robust tensile stress, high water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), air permeability (AP), waterproofness, biocompatibility, and particle filtration efficiency (PFE) should be covered. However, previous research regarding w...

Highly sensitive flexible pressure sensors are extensively investigated for various applications, such as electronic skin, human physiological monitoring, and artificial intelligence. However, traditional fabrication technologies are hard to realize the large‐area and mass production of wearable sensing devices. Current trend of miniaturization, sy...

Electrospinning is a feasible technology to fabricate nanomaterials. However, the preparation of nanomaterials with controllable structures of microbeads and fine nanofibers is still a challenge, which hinders widespread applications of electrospun products. Herein, inspired by the micro/nanostructures of lotus leaves, we constructed a structured e...

In this study, a phosphorus-containing bio-based monomer (MBDPP) was first synthesized from renewable magnolol, and subsequently photo-cured with tri-thiol (TPTMP) or tetra-thiol (PETMP) monomers via thiol–ene polymerization. The synthesized MBDPP/TPTMP and MBDPP/PETMP membranes exhibited high char residues at 700 °C in the TGA tests, which were 19...

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings through the use of enhanced passive radiative cooling materials would have a great relief to the global energy and climate crises. Through a purely solution-based sonochemical synthesis method raising no requirements on temperature and vacuum, we fabricated a ZnO-coated transparent wood (CTW) composite w...

Polylactic acid (PLA) is flammable, susceptible to UV light, and slow during degradation in nature, which limits the expansion of its application fields. Herein, a multifunctional bioderived additive ([email protected]) was prepared by free radical grafting reaction between chitosan (CS) and tannic acid (TA) with the coating of phytic acid (PA) to...

A magnolol-derived bisphosphate (MBDPP) was successfully synthesized from the substitution reaction between magnolol and diphenyl phosphoryl chloride. MBDPP was subsequently applied for the fabrication of intrinsically anti-flammable bismaleimide (BMI) thermosets. The effect of MBDPP on the curing kinetics of BMI systems was investigated by the non...

Electrospinning is a significant micro/nanofiber processing technology and has been rapidly developing in the past 2 decades. It has several applications, including advanced sensing, intelligent manufacturing, and high‐efficiency catalysis. Here, multifunctional protective membranes fabricated via electrospinning in terms of novel material design,...

Magnetic polydopamine (PDA) nanocomposites were prepared with a facile and sustainable synthetic method. The as-synthesized polymer-based hybrid composites inherited the intrinsic adhesiveness contributed by catechol and amino moieties of PDA as well as the magnetic property of Fe3O4. With the unique properties of PDA, the surface charges of Fe3O4@...

Macroscopic hydrogel fibers are highly desirable for smart textiles, but the fabrication of self-healable and super-tough covalent/physical double-network hydrogels is rarely reported. Herein, copolymers containing ketone groups were synthesized and prepared into a dynamic covalent hydrogel via acylhydrazone chemistry. Double-network hydrogels were...

Polylactic acid (PLA), characterized by its biodegradability, easy processing, and environmental friendliness, is regarded as one of the ideal substitutes for petroleum-based polymers. But, the flammability and UV light sensitivity of PLA often impact the safety and service life of its products. In this study, a bio-based additive (BA-TA-MEL) is sy...

Inspired by the strong adhesion feature of DOPA discovered in mussel adhesive proteins, the heteromolecular pigmentations using naturally derived catechol and amino acids were developed for sustainable textile coloration. A diverse range of colour could be generated via biomimicking pigmentation with different combinations of catechol and amino at...

Eco-friendly bio-based poly (lactic acid) (PLA) non-woven fabrics (NFs) presents great potential to replace petroleum-based fabrics, whereas the attention for preparing multifunctional PLA NFs is still scarce at present. Herein, PLA non-woven fabrics were surface treated by a padding process with polyelectrolyte (APTris) followed by an in-situ grow...

Wearable electronic sensors, especially piezoresistive pressure sensors, have attracted tremendous attention due to their portability, flexibility, and high sensitivity to slight changes in pressure. However, these sensors suffer from fabrication procedures as well as poor mechanical properties, pressure sensitivity. Herein, an aramid nanofiber (AN...

Despite the advantages of biological compatibility and high transparency, there are still some drawbacks for poly(lactic acid) (PLA) such as highly flammable and poor ultraviolet resistance. Herein, a fully bio-based additive ([email protected]) with a core-shell structure is synthesized by chitosan microspheres and phytic acid. The introduction of...

Coronary artery disease is the “first killer” in the world, while the classical treatment for this disease is to implant stent. An ideal vascular stent should be nontoxic with self‐expanding characteristics, quick expanding speed, and appropriate mechanical supporting property. However, no existing vascular stent covers all properties. Herein, a tw...

COVID‐19 pandemic recently has a great impact on personalized protection and healthcare, especially in the area of the respiratory mask. However, due to the complex relationship between filtration performance and thermal management, there is a lack of investigation considering both characters in respirators. Woolen knitwears are recently well ackno...

As a bio‐based and biodegradable textile, poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nonwovens are an important supplement for nature cotton, flax, and silk. This work concentrated on improving the flame retardancy of PLA nonwovens by introducing a novel eco‐friendly flame retardant (TPA), which was synthesized from phytic acid and tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl aminomet...

Despite the great progress on the development of zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) in recent years, the issue of zinc corrosion in aqueous media and the associated dendrite growth of the electrode remains a major challenge for achieving high-performance anode materials with long-term stability. Herein, we report a facile, yet, effective interfacial optimiz...

The flammability of thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO) is a prior concern related to fire disasters. The fire safety strategy for TPO has not been settled because of serious waterproof property deteriorations caused by the presence of flame retardant additives. This work reported an encapsulation of conventional intumescent flame retardant (IFR) addit...

The integration of bio-based functional agents with biopolymers is welcomed as a way of meeting the growing demand for healthy, safety, and sustainability. This study presents a facile and solvent-free fabrication of flame retardant (FR), UV protective, and reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite using two bio-based complexing couples: tannin...

Tough hydrogels with shape memory property are highly desirable for actuators and smart engineering materials. Herein, super-tough polyacrylamide/iota-carrageenan double-network hydrogels were synthesized via a one-pot radical polymerization and strengthened by incorporating bacterial cellulose microclusters, through the intermolecular hydrogen bon...

Dendrite-free stable Zn plating/stripping was achieved for over 500 h at 2 mA cm−2.No short-circuit for 10 mAh cm−2 of Zn plating.Zn|MnO2 cells delivered nearly 100% capacity retention over 2000 cycles. Dendrite-free stable Zn plating/stripping was achieved for over 500 h at 2 mA cm−2. No short-circuit for 10 mAh cm−2 of Zn plating. Zn|MnO2 cells d...

Personalized thermal management using water-actuated woolen knitwear has great potential for smart textile production. However, woolen knitwear exists in a wide range of forms with different derivatives. Manufacturing of smart woolen structures with excellent cooling properties is linked to certain parameters such as changes in loop formation, loop...

Zinc metal is a promising anode candidate due to its high theoretical capacity and high abundance, making the aqueous zinc ion battery (ZIB) one of the most promising energy storage systems for large scale grid. However, the practical application of ZIBs is seriously inhibited by detrimental dendrite growth on the zinc metal anode surface. To tackl...

The halloysite nanotubes (HNTs-Si) was filled with poly-siloxane and introduced into polypropylene (PP) composite containing intumescent flame retardants (IFR) in order to simultaneously improve the fire performance and mechanical properties. The fire behavior investigation indicated that the peak heat release rate and the peak smoke release rate o...

Nanomaterial applications on textiles are reviewed in this article, to recognize representative mile stones in past decades. This wide topic is discussed in three divided sections: assembly of nanomaterials on textile surfaces, assembly of nanomaterials inside textile fibers, formation of fibers and yarns from nanofibrils. Because most of nanomater...

Novel flexible storage devices such as supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries are of great interest due to their broad potential applications in flexible electronics and implants. Hydrogels are crosslinked hydrophilic polymer networks filled with water, and considered one of the most promising electrolyte candidates due to their high-water abso...

Extended from our previous finding that poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) oligomer is an effective antimicrobial agent against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, fungi and multi-drug resistant bacteria, this work investigates the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the antimicrobial effect of PHB oligomer. To investigate and explain th...